Motorway lights going out? Are you ready for it?

Over the coming weeks, Rijkswaterstaat (the Dutch road authority) is switching off the lights on many motorways in the Netherlands, officially to save money. In large parts of the country the lights go out between 9 pm and 5 am. On busy stretches they stay on until 10.30 pm. So if you are often on the road in the evening or at night, it matters that your lighting is up to scratch. We would not be ourselves if we did not offer to help.

Motorway lights off: still running standard halogen?

Then it is time to upgrade to xenon lighting. With xenon you get up to 60% more light and your eyes tire less quickly. Road markings and signs light up as if you were pointing a blacklight at them. What a relief not to have to slow down just to read what the signs say.

Expensive?

You are probably thinking: "that is going to cost a fortune". It is not. A Pilot xenon upgrade kit starts at just €169. And for the pricier machines with advanced on-board computers that check whether the bulbs are working, there is a solution too: the Pro Line series from Pilot at €199. That is only a fraction of the cost of having brand-new xenon headlights fitted, where you often have to dig a lot deeper. Those costs run into the thousands. Some brands charge as much as 8,000 to 10,000 euros.

Xenon: easy to fit

For most makes of car and motorbike, fitting a xenon kit is no big deal. Think of it as a bulb swap: old bulbs out, new xenon bulbs in. Then you connect the ballast (the igniter) to the bulbs and the power supply, and Bob's your uncle. Tidy the wiring away and you are driving with 60% more light. As many of our customers say: "never halogen again for me".

Already have xenon lighting?

Then make sure you clean your headlights properly and have them aligned correctly. You can do this yourself or let your local garage do it. Once that is done, you are ready for winter and for the lighting changes on the motorways.

Driving on an unlit motorway: practical tips

Without street lamps you depend entirely on your own headlights and everyone else's. These tips will help you drive more relaxed in the dark:

• Keep your windscreen and headlights clean. Dirt and streaks on the windscreen scatter the light from oncoming traffic, and a dirty headlight gives less light.
• Check that all your lights work. Walk round the car every now and then, front and back.
• Use your high beam only where you can. High beam gives you far better visibility, but switch back to low beam as soon as you could dazzle oncoming or leading traffic.
• Leave more distance. In the dark you judge distances and speeds less well.
• Take a break in good time. Driving in the dark is more tiring. If your eyes start to feel heavy, pull in at a rest area.
• Do not stare into oncoming headlights. Fix your gaze on the right-hand road marking instead.

Halogen, xenon or LED: what is the difference?

If you want better vision in the dark, there are roughly three types of headlight to choose from:

• Halogen: the standard in many cars. A filament in a glass bulb filled with halogen gas. Cheap and simple, but the light is yellowish and less bright.
• Xenon: a gas-discharge bulb ignited via a ballast. It gives far more light than halogen, and whiter. A xenon bulb has a short warm-up time: it ignites straight away but builds up to full brightness over the first few seconds.
• LED: at full brightness instantly and uses little power. LED headlight bulbs often have a heat sink or fan at the back, so check there is enough room behind your headlight.

Have a look at the xenon kits or the LED low beam and high beam bulbs. Whichever you pick: if your car monitors its lighting, choose a version made for it. After fitting, have the beam aligned and check that your car still meets the APK requirements (the Dutch roadworthiness test); if in doubt, ask the RDW (the Dutch vehicle authority) or your inspector.

Headlights ready for winter: cleaning and alignment

Whether you have halogen, xenon or LED, your headlights only give really good light when the glass is clear and the beam is set correctly.

• Is the glass dull or yellow? Plastic headlight lenses weather in sunlight and road salt, and far less light reaches the road. Read weathered headlights: how to make them like new again to find out how to restore them.
• Is the beam set correctly? Park on level ground in front of a wall or garage door. The cut-off line of the low beam should be equally high on the left and right, and slightly lower than the height of the headlight itself.
• Do both bulbs burn equally bright and in the same colour? A bulb that is clearly dimmer or a different colour is often due for replacement. Ideally replace bulbs in pairs.
• Does the height adjustment work? Many cars have a knob or automatic system to lower the headlights when the car is heavily loaded.